Children's Home run by CFS Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 1 Registered provider: CFS Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since August 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection in September 2022. Following this inspection, a notice restricting accommodation at the home was issued with immediate effect, from 16 September 2022 until 8 December 2022. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 2 Two compliances notices, in respect of regulation 12, the help and protection standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, were also issued, under section 22A of the Care Standards Act.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was carried out on 2 November 2022. Following this visit, a case review was held. It was decided at the case review that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet the steps in the compliance notices. However, due to insufficient numbers of staff to care for more children, it was determined that the restriction of accommodation notice should remain in place. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 4

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inadequate

There are significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice, care planning and the leadership and management of the home. These weaknesses have had a significant negative effect on children’s safety and welfare and have limited their experiences and progress.

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inadequate

Ineffective care planning has led to children not receiving well-planned care that is addressing their identified needs. Progress for children in relation to their health, education and well-being is poor.

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inadequate

Two children live at this home. However, one of the children has not stayed at the home for three months. Staff do not maintain regular contact with the child to ensure that he is safe. Staff do not review the child’s care plans to ensure that staff are providing him with individualised care to meet his needs.

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inadequate

Staff do not meet children’s health needs. When children miss routine health appointments, such as dental appointments, they are not helped to attend these appointments. Leaders and staff are not providing children with appropriate help and advice in relation to their specific health needs.

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inadequate

Although leaders have requested up-to-date education plans and further assessments for children, this has not been escalated effectively. One child’s education, health and care plan (EHC plan) is not current but it does provide some relevant information about their educational needs. However, this information has not been used to inform plans for the child’s care. Therefore, leaders and staff do not have a good understanding of the child’s educational needs.

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inadequate

Children are not helped to follow good routines. Leaders and staff do not implement appropriate boundaries and structure for one child. The child’s daily routine is negatively affected because she often stays awake and uses her mobile phone throughout the night. Staff do not have any strategies to manage this. This has had a detrimental impact on the child’s daily experiences and has increased her risks and vulnerabilities.

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inadequate

One child told inspectors that they are unhappy with the changes in the staff team. The child was upset because some staff had left the home without saying goodbye to them.

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inadequate

Leaders and staff did not listen to a child when the child raised a concern about a staff member. This does not demonstrate that children’s views, wishes and feelings are considered and does not promote the development of positive relationships between children and staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 5 Leaders and staff do not ensure that the home environment is clean in all areas. Children’s bedrooms are not cleaned to a good standard and one child’s bedroom presented numerous hazards to the child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The assessment of, and response to, risk are ineffective. Leaders, managers and staff do not adequately respond to, or implement, appropriate strategies to protect the children living in the home. There is a lack of management oversight, with very limited and ineffective strategies in place for the staff team to implement to reduce the risks to children. These shortfalls are significantly compromising the children’s safety and welfare.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There has been inadequate support for one child around their self-injurious behaviours. Staff do not take effective action in response to safeguarding incidents. For example, despite direction given by leaders for staff to be vigilant about the child’s environment, inspectors noted numerous hazards in the child’s bedroom. Staff spoken to did not understand their roles and responsibilities in respect of this. Therefore, the child is living in an unsafe environment.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There has been an escalation of missing-from-care incidents in relation to one child. Records show that the child has been missing on numerous occasions. Staff are not provided with clear strategies to follow when the child is missing from home. Therefore, the child is at risk of harm in the community. Staff do not demonstrate professional curiosity when the child returns from going missing. This is a missed opportunity to understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities and take effective action to keep them safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Risk assessments do not provide clear or effective strategies for staff to follow in practice. As a result, staff do not respond appropriately to risks. This includes the risk of exploitation and risks for children with self-injurious behaviours.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Children are not receiving consistent support to help them understand how to keep safe. There is no meaningful work with children to talk about their risks and vulnerabilities. For example, children are not supported to recognise that some relationships may be exploitative and harmful.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Fire safety arrangements are not sufficient. There was damage to a fire door and a fire extinguisher had been removed by staff following an incident and had not been replaced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management arrangements in the home are poor and ineffective. The home is not being managed effectively and efficiently by a permanent registered manager. There is no registered manager at the home and leaders do not demonstrate effective oversight of the quality of care provided for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 6 Inconsistencies in leadership and management are contributing to a significant decline in the quality of care and protection provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has not been any learning from safeguarding incidents. There is no reflection with staff or robust evaluation of safeguarding incidents to improve the care that staff provide for children. Therefore, unsafe staff practice has continued, which has placed children at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have received some training since the last visit. However, following a significant safeguarding incident, leaders did not ensure that staff received training to improve their understanding of, and ability to respond to and reduce, the risks for one child. This lack of staff knowledge placed the child at risk of significant harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Improvements noted at the previous monitoring visit in relation to supervision practice have not been sustained. Staff do not receive regular practice-based supervision. This means that opportunities to develop staff practice have been missed and ineffective and unsafe staff practice has continued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the previous monitoring visit, there have been changes to the staff team. Some staff have left the company and there is still no registered manager in post. This has resulted in a further period of instability and inconsistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered person has failed to notify Ofsted of all significant events in the home. Therefore, the regulator cannot monitor the home effectively to ensure that children are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered person has not sent the statement of purpose to Ofsted in line with regulation. This is a breach of regulation and means that Ofsted does not know who is working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted is of the view that leaders, managers and staff are unable to reduce risks to children and an emergency suspension notice was issued. This means that the provider’s registration is suspended and there are no children living at the home. Ofsted will monitor the provider’s compliance with this notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 7

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that when a child raises a concern or complaint, they take action and make sure that the child understands what action has been taken. 18 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 18 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 8 support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s home plans incorporate information from their other relevant plans, such as EHC plans and pathway plans.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(1)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when children refuse to attend routine or emergency appointments, alternative options are sought to ensure that their health needs are met. 18 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 9 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are helped to understand and recognise healthy and positive relationships. 18 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 18 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 10 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessments clearly outline the risks to children and the strategies that staff must take to reduce these risks.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must ensure that staff take effective action, in line with company policy and children’s relevant plans, in response to safeguarding incidents, including when children are missing from home or displaying self-injurious behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that children’s bedrooms are a safe environment for them.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 18 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 11 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training in matters that are relevant to the needs of children who live in the home, for example, ligature training.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that there is effective monitoring and review of the quality of care that children are receiving, including review of safeguarding matters and arrangements for promoting children’s health.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. 18 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 12 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that home plans incorporate information from children’s relevant plans, including local authority care plans, pathway plans, health assessments and EHC plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 18 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the use of mobile phone tracking apps. 18 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)) 18 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 13 This relates to ensuring that damage to fire doors is repaired and that fire extinguishers are available for use by staff as directed on the fire safety plan.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 18 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 18 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)) 18 January 2023

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 14

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Europa House, Suite 9, Europa House Business Lodge Bury, Barcroft Street, Bury BL9 5BT

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Inspectors

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2678405 15 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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